


Wine Dark Seas

by StarReads



Series: My Ferdibert Week 2020 Fics [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ferdinand is a hopeless romantic, Ferdinand is drawn to the sea, Fluff, Hubert is a Merman, M/M, Mermaids, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Ocean, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sea-longing, Water, bet you were expecting Ferdinand, hey thats odd, shhhh, well you were wrong!, yes I left this open ended so I can maybe write more later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:21:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25785796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarReads/pseuds/StarReads
Summary: Ferdinand has always been drawn to the ocean. You never really know what you might find there, after all.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Series: My Ferdibert Week 2020 Fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870597
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36
Collections: Ferdibert Week 2020





	Wine Dark Seas

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Ferdibert week on twitter! Day 1's prompts were: Bodyswap/Confessions/Mermaids/Espionage. I chose Confessions and Mermaids! 
> 
> This is just a very light, sweet fic because I...well, you'll see when I post tommorow. Until then, enjoy!
> 
> (ty to Cy and Blake for betaing this fic!)

Ferdinand had always been drawn to the ocean. Ever since he was a child, he could remember standing knee deep in the salt water and just swaying with the tide. Even when the water was near freezing, he found himself tumbling back to the shoreline day after day after day. It was a safe haven, the most peaceful place in existence.

Even as he got older, and he had less and less time to spend out by the sea, he still valued his time there. He found it was easier to visit at night, as there were fewer people and it was quieter. The colder air didn't subtract at all from the beauty of a quiet walk by the sea side. It was truly his home away from home, and he never wanted to be away from it. 

One night, as he approached the edge of the walkable part of the beach, he noticed something. In the ink-black of the water, made even darker by the minimal lighting, he saw a flash of something shiny and dark purple. Curiosity nipped at his heels and drove him straight to the shoreline. He peered down into the sea, but he could no longer see whatever that was. 

But he could not stop wondering what he had seen, and he found himself kicking off his sandals and wading into the water. It was colder than he expected, but he powered through it and went deeper into the ocean. Soon he was waist-deep, still wading through the water. He could not see the bottom of the ocean where his feet moved against the rough sand, but that did not bother Ferdinand. The sea felt to him like a protective blanket.

After a few minutes of wading, he saw the flash of purple in the water again. He whipped around to chase it with his eyes, and watched it dive behind a rocky formation in the water. It left a ripple of water in its wake, like a tiny wave all of its own. Ferdinand swam after it, rounding the corner just in time to see something emerge from the water.

He was tall...or perhaps long was a better word to describe him. His hair was short, black and curly, water dripping off of individual curls down to his bare chest. He was pale, almost ghostly and stood out on the dark backdrop. Where moonlight hit wet patches of skin, he seemed to glow. He looked almost human, but a second glimpse confirmed that he was anything but.

His pale body was scattered with dark purplish-red scales, creating interesting patterns that Ferdinand could trace with his eyes. His fingers were webbed, slight claws where fingernails should be. He could see the makings of a tail where legs should be, the moonlight shining through the water and revealing a scaly form beneath it. 

His eyes stood out the most. They were a greenish-yellow, glowing in the dark and absolutely mesmerizing. Ferdinand felt like if he looked away for even a second, he would disappear. He had to say something, but he wasn't even sure if this...person? Merman was probably closer to the correct term. He wasn't sure if this merman could speak, or even understand him.

"Hello," he said quietly, moving closer but not too close. He did not want to scare the other man off. As he spoke, the merman in front of him tilted his head to the side, listening. He could hear then, at least. That was promising! Ferdinand was still riding a wave of excitement over meeting an honest to god merman, when not even twenty minutes ago he would never have thought they existed. 

So when the merman opened his mouth to reveal a set of sharp teeth, his breath caught in his throat. "Hello," the merman said back. He could speak! Ferdinand grinned. "It's nice to meet you. I...have not seen you around before," Ferdinand said. 

"Humans aren't supposed to see us," the man said. Ferdinand figured that made sense, since people would probably go a little crazy if they found yet another native population to colonize. And living underwater would make cultural exchange difficult anyways; neither group could exactly visit the other's homes.

"Well, I hope this meeting will not get you in trouble, then," he joked. The merman narrowed his eyes, looking at Ferdinand as if he had said something rather foolish indeed. "I am a little too old to be scolded like a child," he scoffed. "Adults do not 'get in trouble'."

"Ah, apologies, that was just...an expression that I am used to using. Could I trouble you for your name?" Ferdinand asked. The taller man paused for a moment, seemingly debating something. Ferdinand remembered his manners, cursing in his head. "I am sorry, I suppose I ought to have introduced myself first. I am Ferdinand von Aegir," he said.

The other man turned to peer back into the inky water. Perhaps looking for something? "Hubert," he said simply. Ferdinand smiled. "Well then, nice to meet you Hubert!" The other merman did not reply, just pushed away from the rocks and dipped deeper into the sea. 

"I must go," he said. Ferdinand moved to speak, knowing not what he was going to say, but he blinked and the man was already gone. He sat, riding the gentle current of the ocean, waiting for a few more minutes. He sighed when he realized Hubert was not returning. 

"I will just have to try again some other time," he whispered to himself. For some reason, he felt...drawn to Hubert, in the same way that he was compelled to return to the sea day after day after day. He swam back to shore still clinging to that strange feeling, and he had a feeling this would not be their last meeting.

He was right, of course. The next time he returned to the beach, he walked along to the edge of the beach, where smooth sand gave way to rocky, unmanageable terrains. He left his shirt and other non-waterproof items on a rock visible from the shoreline and then entered the ocean with all the joy of a child being returned to their mother.

He swam out as far as he could before the water got too deep to be safe during the night, and then waited. He kept watch for that flash of wine-colored scales that meant that his new friend(?) was there. He did not have to wait very long; within seconds he saw Hubert dive behind the same rocky structure they had first met on. Ferdinand swam after him.

"Hubert!" he said as he rounded the rocks. There he was in all his pale, almost ephemeral (?) glory. The man in question turned to face him, an unreadable expression on his face. "Ferdinand." 

"It is nice to see you again," Ferdinand said. Hubert said nothing, just pulled himself from the water onto the rocks themselves. Ferdinand got a good look at this taik for the first time. The actual body of it was long and thin, but at the end of the tail were large, almost feathery fins. 

"May I ask some questions? You do not have to answer any of them, of course! I am simply curious," Ferdinand said. He swam up to the rocks and pulled himself up next to Hubert. The sudden removal from the water into the cold air left goosebumps all over his legs. 

"...Fine. But make them quick," Hubert said. Ferdinand rejoiced at his victory, and began asking him questions. They talked for hours, surprisingly. Even when Hubert seemed annoyed, he did not shoo Ferdinand off. His company, in fact, seemed to barely bother him. 

Hubert asked him a few questions in return, but they were more personal. How long Ferdinand had lived near this beach, how old he was, what his family was like, what he did during the day...it was nice to talk this much about himself for a change. Hardly anyone wanted to know about him in his day to day life. Usually, they just ranted at him about their own lives and then were 'busy' when he wanted to talk.

By the time Hubert had to return, it was well into the early morning. Ferdinand realized that he would not be getting much sleep before work, but he did not feel tired. There was an energy coursing through his veins that was keeping him wide awake. He was almost sad that they had to leave, but once morning arrived people would come to the beach and he knew he did not want to endanger his new friend.

Hubert re-entered the water in one fluid motion. The elegance he possessed was almost unreal, something only found in non-human entities. Wait, one second," Ferdinand said before he could disappear. Hubert looked back to him, more curious than annoyed at the disruption. "May I come back? To see you, I mean?"

Hubert thought for a moment, leaving Ferdinand to awkwardly sit with his own thoughts. Had he been too forward? Maybe Hubert was only humoring him. Truly, he could not actually want his company. But just as Ferdinand's thoughts began spiralling, he heard Hubert breathe deeply. "You may," he said.

Ferdinand's face split from ear to ear. Even as Hubert disappeared, he could not help but beam like he had just won the lottery. He jumped back into the water, and his happiness only grew stronger. He could barely recall going back to the shore, his mind was so focused on the success of it all. 

And if Hubert watched him return to the shore with a fond little smile, no one would ever know.

Months of nights just like that one passed. Ferdinand found that the more time he spent with Hubert, the more he liked him. He was fun to talk to, and he lived in such a different world. He enjoyed learning about him and the way he lived.

Before long, he was spending almost every night at that beach. There was never a day where he wasn't thinking about Hubert. If he had to go a day without seeing him, it...just did not feel right. And when Hubert had to leave, watching him go felt odd. Some days he had to physically restrain himself from following him. There was a barrier between their worlds that neither one could cross.

This rock was the only place where their worlds could collide. Hubert could not walk on land and Ferdinand could not breathe underwater, even if he wanted to. And sometimes, Ferdinand wished he could. Leaving the water had always upset him, even before he knew Hubert, but he could not stay forever. 

Sometimes, he toyed with the idea of finding a way to remain underwater for good, but he had more to worry about than his silly, childish dreams. Sitting side by side with Hubert, looking out to the dark sea and sharing a moment with him would just have to be enough. It was all he could ever ask for. 

"Evening, Hubert," he said as he pulled himself from the water up onto the rocks. Hubert was staring off into the distance, watching as the tide moved to some unheard rhythm. Perhaps Hubert could hear it, with the way he could predict a change in the waves before the wind had even shifted. "How was your day?" 

"You ask me that every day, and every day I give you the same answer: it was fine. Have you not grown bored of this by now?" Hubert asked. Ferdinand rolled his eyes. "And you ask me that same question every single day, and every time I tell you the same thing: never. How is work?" Ferdinand said.

"Work is fine. Lady Edelgard asked me to review some paperwork that Linhardt submitted, and I noticed this slight discrepancy in the numbers the contractors reported so I'm looking into that matter. Other than that it has been running just as efficiently as ever. We optimized a few of our slower systems, so even our notoriously time-consuming tasks have been cut back," Hubert said. Ferdinand continued to just sit and listen as Hubert discussed some important official Imperial business. It was always interesting to compare their government to his own, and hearing Hubert talk about it was not nearly as boring as one would think.

And when Hubert spoke, he was captivating. There was no denying that even though he could easily blend in with the world around him at a moment's notice, he was impossible to miss if you knew what to look for. Dark scales that glistened with water and moonlight, a toothy grin that held so much emotion and yet betrayed none of it, eyes that bore through your very soul...Ferdinand could look at him for weeks, months, years, never looking away. 

If Hubert asked him to do just that, he would without a moment's hesitation. The thought of just how much sway Hubert held over him was almost scary. Somehow before Ferdinand could even realize it, Hubert had clawed his way into his heart and settled in. He might never be fully rid of this man; even if he never saw him again, his presence would still haunt him. 

"You are staring at me," Hubert said, shocking Ferdinand out of his thoughts. His face flushed, surely visible even in the dim lighting. He had not meant to stare, at least not so openly. He turned away slightly to hide his face, before saying, "I was not staring! I was simply a little spaced out, that is all." 

Hubert laughed, shaking his head, and it was in that moment that Ferdinand realized that he loved him. The thought bowled him over like a freight train. How could he..love Hubert? He could not pin down when those feelings had begun but now that he recognized them, he could scarcely recall a time that he had not, in fact, loved Hubert. Maybe love just did that to a person, covering their every memory in the same shade of trust and affection. 

"Whatever you say, Ferdinand. I just did not think a man who prided himself on his, how did you put it, excellent manners would so shamelessly gawk at someone," Hubert said. Ferdinand grumbled a little, just a bit peeved at the implication that he was being rude. He had just been looking! It was a respectful gaze at any rate.

"I do not think I was being shamele--" he turned to defend himself, but as he did the words died in his throat. He had not noticed Hubert getting closer, but now their faces were mere inches apart. If Ferdinand moved even a little, their noses might have touched. The sudden closeness made his pulse quicken beneath his skin, shortened his every breath and left him stunned.

His brain scrambled for words that were nowhere to be found. Instead, he dropped off the rocks into the water, knocking even more air out of his lungs. "I apologize, but I have an early shift and I have to go home. I'll be seeing you," he said quickly. Without waiting for a reply, Ferdinand began to swim away. He could hear Hubert calling after him, but the embarrassment kept him from turning back.

  
  


After a week of avoiding returning to the beach, Ferdinand realized that he could not hide forever. He missed Hubert, of course he did, and he knew that if he stayed away for too long, he might lose him. And even besides that, he felt compelled to return to the sea. Every day he avoided it left him disoriented and moody. He knew if he tried to resist its call he would wake up by the beach anyway. Sometimes, as a kid, he had done just that, much to the annoyance of his father.

The long and short of the matter was that Ferdinand had to suck it up and go see Hubert again. He knew that he would have to eventually confront his feelings for the man, one way or another. The idea of being rejected and losing him was nerve-racking, but as long as his feelings remained unspoken, he knew they would continue to have moments like the one that had driven him away to start with.

It was not Hubert's fault that Ferdinand was so awkward. He had been the one to make things weird and then he had just disappeared without an explanation. Honestly, if Hubert never spoke to him again he would be completely justified. He had spoiled their easy, simple routine somehow. 

The walk to the spot where he normally entered the water was nerve wracking. Despite the lullaby of the omnipresent waves, he could not calm the stirring in his heart. He half expected to drop dead before he even reached the rockiest part of the beach, but fortunately he managed to remain upright.

As soon as he hit the water, all his worries seemed to melt away. The dim fog that had coated his senses up until that point disappeared. He took a deep breath, letting the tides wrap around him like dozens of coiling snakes, enveloping him in a sense of peace found nowhere else.

He swam out to the rock, hoping that Hubert would not be there already. He would have liked a moment to collect his thoughts, relax, maybe reassure himself that he was not going crazy. It was hard to think, sometimes, when Hubert was so close. 

"Where have you been?" Hubert asked as soon as Ferdinand emerged from around the corner. Ferdinand was surprised to hear that his tone was more worried than accusatory. Perhaps he was not as upset as Ferdinand had assumed he would be.

"I was busy, I apologize. How have you been?" Ferdinand said. Hubert seemed skeptical at his answer, but apparently decided to drop it. Once again, they slipped back into a familiar routine. Hubert spoke about his work and of a few notable interactions with his peers, and Ferdinand listened quietly. 

Except it was different, somehow, because Ferdinand could hear Hubert's every breath, could hear every time he shifted no matter how small, and he felt as if he would combust if Hubert got too close. Before he had recognized his feelings for Hubert, he had not noticed any of those things, but now it was impossible not to. 

"Ferdinand? Are you alright?" Hubert asked, pulling him out of his own head. Ferdinand smiled sheepishly when he realized he had once again been staring. "Apologies, Hubert, I was just...thinking," he said.

Hubert shook his head. "Something on your mind? You've been quiet this evening," Hubert said. Ferdinand looked down at his feet, watching the water nip at his ankles, a half-hearted attempt to drag him under the waves. He almost wishes they would, just to spare him the embarrassment he was about to feel. 

"I have just had a lot on my mind," he said, a half-hearted excuse that he knew Hubert wouldn't buy. The merman lightly elbowed him, forcing Ferdinand to turn to meet his gaze. He looked concerned, and Ferdinand couldn't help but feel guilty for worrying him. 

"Is something wrong, Ferdinand? I promise not to be mad if something is, so just tell me," Hubert said. Ferdinand felt his stomach twist into knots. This was it, he realized, it was now or never. If he could not say it now, he would never be able to. He took a deep breath, drawing on all the strength he had in him.

"I....I'm in love with you," Ferdinand whispered. For a second, he was worried he had been drowned out by the wind. But he watched aa Hubert's face morphed into an expression he had never seen before. Panic flooded his senses; had he upset Hubert somehow? Was he about to flee like he had on that first day? Should he have kept his mouth shut? 

Hubert leaned in closer, so close that Ferdinand could count the individual drops of water clinging to the curls on his hair, could see the soft moonlight bounce of the scales on his shoulder in fine detail. The closeness forced his heart into his throat, nearly drowning him.

"Ferdinand?" Hubert said, voice soft like he was trying not to scare him off. Which was justified, of course. Last time they had been this close, Ferdinand had fled. "May I kiss you?" he asked, bringing a red color to Ferdinand's face and neck. 

"You...you may," he said quietly. Hubert closed the distance between the two of them, and the world stopped. The kiss had a warmth to it that was offset by the cold air around them. It felt exactly like he thought it would, a rush of some unnamed but powerful emotion that was all-consuming, and of course love as well. 

He had many questions, of course. How they would manage the issue of Ferdinand's inability to breathe underwater and Hubert's lack of legs, whether they could even overcome such hurdles, among other things. But all Ferdinand needed to know right now was that he loved Hubert, and Hubert loved him. They could figure out the rest later. They had the rest of their lives, after all.

  
  



End file.
